Have You Heard About Antelope Island State Park?

You’ve heard of Salt Lake City right? Utah’s capital city is a hub in the west. You probably know it as home to the world’s Mormon population and amazing Winter snow sports.

But did you know there is actually a Great Salt Lake that sits just outside of the city? They had to name the city after something of course.

Now, this is where it gets interesting. Did you know that you can drive across the Great Salt Lake onto an an island? An island home to wild roaming animals, windswept cliffs and even sandy beaches?

Neither did I! Until I went there and it blew my mind.

 

35 photos that will make you want to visit Antelope Island State Park.

 

The Great Salt Lake stretches out for miles. It looks like water but it’s a hard salt crust. The white stuff on the shore? Yup, that’s salt too.

Welcome to the park!

 

 

My little explorer, adventuring around Antelope Island State Park.

This panorama of the island from the Visitors’ Center shows the causeway that stretches from the island back to the mainland.

There are some great statues near the visitor’s center on Antelope Island, including this one of an Antelope. We didn’t see the real thing during our visit to the island but this was close enough.

Lots of cyclists head the the island for weekend rides.

 

A picture window outside the Visitors’ Center helps you line up a great shot of the snowy mountains in the distance. We visited in Winter so there was quite a bit of snow to be seen but the island itself didn’t have any visible snow.

Pick up a map of the trails and roads around the park to help you find your way.

Another great view of the Causeway linking the island to the main land. The Causeway itself is 7 miles long and level with the lake the whole way.

One of the sandy beaches on Antelope Island. It’s a little hard to tell where the beach end and the salt begins.

Looking out at the Great Salt Lake.

The short trail at Buffalo Point is easy to walk even with small kids.

And offers a sweeping view of the other side of the Island.

 

 

Perfect for photo ops!

 

 

Driving around the island is pretty easy.

 

 

And there are beautiful views at practically every turn.

 

 

The interior of the island is steep and rocky. An ideal habitat for Antelope, though we didn’t see any during our visit.

 

 

Over at the Fielding Garr Ranch, there are few cool vintage trucks which have been abandoned and left to rust.

 

 

They make for the best photography subjects!

There is a nice wooded area on the ranch.

For walks.

 

 

 

And messing about!

We spotted some owls in the trees.

 

 

Try your hand at lassoing at the Ranch! Just don’t try to lasso your kids.

 

 

Explore the historical buildings.

 

 

And see what life was like back when this was a working ranch.

 

 

Driving back out of the park.

 

 

We spotted some of the island’s Bison population grazing by the side of the road. About half way down the East coast of the island. Just North of the Fielding Garr Ranch.

 

 

Don’t get too close though. They are best viewed from a distance.

 

 

A Few Tips for Visiting Antelope Island State Park

• Antelope Island State Park is an easy 45 minute drive north of Salt Lake City, accessible by a causeway across the Great Salt Lake.
• Entrance to Antelope Island State Park is $10 for vehicles.
• Start at the Visitor’s Center to pick up maps and see the exhibits.
• Bring along a picnic lunch. There’s nowhere to purchase food or drink on the island but there are plenty spots to take a picturesque picnic lunch.
• Make time to explore the Fielding Garr Ranch. It’s set up as a historical recreation of what life on the island was like at various stages through the ranch’s history.
• Keep your eyes peeled for bison at all times. We found them grazing on the roadside a few miles north of the ranch.